American Silence by Chris Pierce

Album: American Silence (2020)

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Chris Pierce, who has been writing songs for TV shows since 2004, made an impact in 2020 with "It's Been Burning For A While," a song he wrote amid the protests that followed the George Floyd killing. He followed that song with "American Silence," a call to action with an urgent message: American silence is a crime.

"It's important for songwriters to pull from places that aren't necessarily comfortable, and to be voices of activism," Pierce told Songfacts. "To put things out there that prompt people to do things. I wanted to write a song that spoke to people directly and could possibly prompt folks to be a part of a conversation of greater good, to not be complacent, not to be a part of social justice only when it's popular to do so. Make it part of their lives."
With just a guitar and harmonica, this harkens to the songs of Bob Dylan, one of Chris Pierce's musical heroes. Pierce recorded it curing the coronavirus pandemic at Boulevard Recording in Hollywood, California, taking care to socially distance. He did all the singing and played the instruments on the track.
Released on November 6, 2020, "American Silence" was chosen as the title track to the album, which was released four months later. The album deals with American history from the perspective of groups that have been oppressed. Pierce told Songfacts that it "goes through a real but empathetic view in hopes of change."

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